ACC Power Rankings Week 14: Can the Hokies Give the ACC One Last Upset?
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Week 14 is rivalry week. Some of the most anticipated matchups of the season just so happen to hold hefty postseason implications. A butterfly effect of possibilities exists for some programs, while others just need to leave next Saturday with a win to compete for the ACC Championship.
Six teams have a path. Who's making it to Charlotte? 👀 pic.twitter.com/ExK0O2JVVm
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) November 24, 2025
Virginia and SMU sit atop the conference as the most likely teams to make it to Charlotte. Pitt needs a win and a loss from either top two teams to punch their ticket to the title game. Duke, Miami, and Georgia Tech have a laundry list of outcomes needed to advance.
For the rest of the ACC, the week is bittersweet. Five teams sit without bowl eligibility. Florida State has a must-win matchup ahead of them if they wish to go bowling. The rest of the field is just looking to end their season the best way possible.
Virginia is the reigning top dog in the ACC. They have an extra week of prep heading into their final game of the regular season, however it's a matchup that has historically not been in their favor. Since the beginning of the century, the Cavaliers have beaten the Hokies twice. Their last victory was in 2019, but haven't been favored to take home the Commonwealth Cup like this in quite some time.
FOURTH DOWN, STRIP SACK‼️@m17m__ 🫨
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) November 15, 2025
📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/QcD2HloaVJ
Tony Elliott is searching for his first win against Virginia Tech. He's put together the best team of his tenure so far. Their last matchup against the Blue Devils showed the big-play ability that's spread throughout the offense. Their defense, while not among college football's elite, closes games out with the best of them. This is the most competitive Virginia has been in decades. They've still shown a tendency to play down to lesser talent this season. As long as they get the win, however, Elliott shouldn't care what the story the box score tells.
The Panthers walked out of Saturday as the hottest team in the ACC. This conference was once Georgia Tech's to lose. Pitt had other plans, however. They rallied around Mason Heintschel and built themselves into one of the most explosive teams in the conference. Even with no Desmond Reid, the Panthers were unstoppable on offense. Ja'Kyrian Turner had a quintessential breakout when it mattered most. He was untouchable on the ground, finishing with 201 yards on 21 carries. His 9.6 yards per carry is the most in a game for the Panthers this season. Heintschel kept the ball clean and moved the offense down the field with high efficiency. An early loss to Louisville leaves their postseason odds in the hands of Virginia and SMU. If either of those teams slips up, the Panthers could be the best bet for the championship game in Charlotte.
Miami is back to looking like themselves, but it may be too late. Carson Beck and Malachi Toney were a surgical duo against the Hokies. The true freshman phenom continued his productive campaign with 146 yards and a late score. An effective pass rusher, headlined by Rueben Bain Jr., consistently pressured the backfield. They filled the stat sheet and controlled the pace of play from start to finish. While the Hokies kept it somewhat close, this one wasn't theirs to take thanks to how well Miami moved the ball.
Malachi. Toney.
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) November 22, 2025
That's it. That's the post 🤯 pic.twitter.com/PBjdz1sXsy
Their poor stretch against ACC competition in late October to early November makes all of that irrelevant. The Hurricanes may be the most talented team in the conference, but they would be lucky to make it to the ACC Championship. ESPN listed eight separate paths to the title game that all include Miami beating a fierce Panthers squad. Even if they do that, the performance of at least three teams in each scenario determines their fate. Simply put, if the Hurricanes make the title game it would be a miracle.
While the Mustangs are likely to make it to Charlotte, they haven't been the most consistent team. They have the big wins in the ACC. They just blew out Louisville, albeit without some key players on offense, and took down Miami to hand them their second loss of the season. Those two wins are what're propping them up as contenders. The lack of ball security from their gunslinger quarterback may be what makes them pretenders. Their recent win was just Kevin Jennings's second game without a turnover. Despite that trend, however, he still finds a way to move the ball effectively. He's 10th in the nation in passing yardage and second in the ACC. The volume and production make Jennings the heart of the Mustangs. SMU is certainly a fun team to watch and could easily take the ACC. Their losses characterize their inconsistencies and what holds them back from being higher in the rankings.
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK TDS 🔥 @Pitt_FB is starting off hot in the first quarter 👏 pic.twitter.com/PfOIiwBOT5
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) November 23, 2025
The fall of the Yellow Jackets has come. What Brent Key has built this program into deserves admiration. This was never a team that was expected to be among the ACC's best. He crafted the team into an entirely different beast. He recruited better than any head coach in recent memory and utilized the portal to acquire one of the best players in program history, Haynes King. He's led Georgia Tech to be the best offense in college football. The defensive flaws are their Achilles' heel. They had no answer to Pitt's game plan and went down big before the first half was over. They statistically remain in the hunt, but any future with Georgia Tech in the ACC title picture would be a long shot.
The best surprise of the conference this year has been the Demon Deacons. They went above and beyond their projections for this year. In Jake Dickert's first year as head coach, he's led Wake Forest to one of its strongest seasons in recent memory. With some controversial and tight losses to start ACC play, Wake Forest was a couple of drives away from being beside Virginia as one of the conference's best teams. There weren't any significant statistical achievements this season. Demond Claiborne was good, but still hasn't eclipsed 1,000 yards like he was on pace to earlier this season. Robby Ashford hasn't thrown for over 2,000 yards either. This was just an extremely well-coached team that took advantage of expectations and threw it back in the face of their opponents. No matter how the season ends, this was as good a first season Wake Forest could've had from Dickert.
Clemson has slowly climbed their way out of the hole it dug for itself to start the year. They looked like a much better team once they became healthy. Dabo Swinney had them hitting their stride in the heart of ACC play, going 5-2 in their last seven games. The season still hasn't been what fans expected going into the year. 2025 will finish as Swinney's worst season since 2010. Cade Klubnik flashed in certain games, but never put it together like 2024 led fans to believe he could. Peter Woods, T.J. Parker, and Aevion Terrell are all projected to be strong prospects in next year's NFL Draft. Schematically, the team overall didn't mesh well. The talent scattered across their roster struggled to complement each other. Swinney has some soul searching to do when approaching how to build to Tigers of the future. Or, he could continue with his stubborn ways and hope it works out.
Some may think the Cardinals' collapse is on Brohm entirely. While his standards have increased with how well they played early on, Louisville has been dealt a tough hand this year. Isaac Brown is an exceptional running back who has had some struggles staying healthy. When they lost him for the rest of the season, the offense was expected to take a step back. They've now lost three straight and have only gotten weaker. They were without Miller Moss and Keyjuan Brown last week and looked like a shell of themselves. The upside of this team was through the roof at the end of October. Injuries dismantled their shot at the postseason in 2025. 2026 still has a positive outlook because of its youth; however, its search for a starting quarterback may be an interesting one to watch.
Caden Noonkester punt. Caden Noonkester fumble recovery!#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/HYrTLyb7MT
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) November 22, 2025
The story for the Wolfpack hasn't changed all season. The offense is unstoppable when at its finest, and their defense keeps the game interesting. At least, that was the case until last weekend. This was the best NC State has looked all year defensively. They gave up big plays to one of the top wideouts in the nation. They took every chance possible to put the ball back in the hands of their offense. Four turnovers, including two straight fumbles to seal the game. Hollywood Smothers had a successful and much-needed return to the gridiron. CJ Bailey had a clean, productive outing. Dave Doeren needed to win this game for both bowl eligibility and his future in Raleigh. Games like this and their win versus Georgia Tech show just how good the Wolfpack could've been this year if they played complementary football at a consistent level.
While the game wasn't as flashy for Darian Mensah, the Blue Devils had a much-needed bounce back on offense. Nate Sheppard and Anderson Castle were the perfect 1-2 punch for Duke. Sheppard was their three-down back who could provide big plays when needed. Castle took over in the red zone, finishing with three rushing touchdowns. The Tar Heels had no business staying in this game longer than they were based on their offensive performance all year. However, Castle managed to close the game out for Duke and clinch their bowl eligibility. That's not all they save, however. The Blue Devils still have a path to the ACC Championship, and it's simpler than Miami's or Georgia Tech's. With a win next week and a loss from Pitt and SMU, the Blue Devils would be on their way to Charlotte.
There weren't too many shockers left in the ACC, but this was one of them. This was Cal's game to lose. The Golden Bears have shown the ability to take games over on offense against some of the ACC's best. The miscues couldn't stop piling up, however. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele had a solid outing as a passer, but didn't handle the pressure Stanford sent at him well. Two fumbles returned for a touchdown are unacceptable for any team. Combine that with the 12 rushing yards the team netted to the Cardinals' 159, and there's little chance of victory. This game marked the last of Justin Wolcox's tenure at Cal, finishing with a record of 48-55.
The Mike Norvell era will continue for another year despite the mess that was their matchup against the Wolfpack. Duce Robinson fit the billing of one of the best receivers in the nation. His heroics can't overcome two straight fumbles on punt returns to put the game away. This team has no identity. They have schemes and game plans they install every week to give off the illusion of identity. The inconsistency week to week is the polar opposite of their 2023 campaign. While that season is hard to excuse, it's the only thing keeping Norvell in Tallahassee. That and a buyout too hefty for Florida State to stomach.
That clip of Andrew Luck on the sidelines embodies what hope looks like for a program. Luck, being a product of Stanford, is enough to fuel his passion for the school. The way he reacted to that play shows how much time he has already put into making this team as good as it can be. They walked into a matchup they weren't favored to win and outplayed Cal start to finish. It was the most cohesive unit they've deployed all year. Micah Ford fueled the offense down the field, and their defense was coming up with highlight after highlight. They were constantly pressuring Sagapolutele and nullifying any momentum the Golden Bears tried to gain. They exited the week as kings of the Bay Area and their third ACC win of the year.
The Tar Heels joined the list of bowl ineligibles in the ACC after their loss to Duke. Bill Belichick's first year in Chapel Hill hasn't been kind. There was dysfunction on offense all year long. The defense got better as the season progressed, but it proved to be too late. They may have been delaying the inevitable with a couple of late-season wins. They stayed with the Blue Devils throughout the game. North Carolina responded to almost every score from Duke. The lack of presence on defense in the red zone made this game hard for the Tar Heels to take control of. They'll look ahead to playing spoiler against NC State and potentially playing a part in some ACC teams' playoff hopes.
Virginia Tech has been very busy this week. While Philip Montgomery was prepping for their final home game against Miami, James Franklin was working the phones to get Lane Stadium filled with recruits. A frenzy of commitments is expected to come before National Signing Day. Some followed Franklin from Penn State; others turned their attention to Blacksburg for the first time during their recruitment. The game wasn't a true showcase of what the team will be. With the way Lane Stadium was filled, most would think Franklin was on the sidelines coaching already. The Hokies' season has been wrapped up for a while now. Their 2026 outlook, however, is on fire. One last upset against the Cavaliers would be the cherry on top of Franklin's recruitment takeover.
What's left to say about the Orange? They have looked empty since losing Steve Angeli. They dropped seven straight games and will finish with their lowest win total since their 1-10 season in 2020. Last week was a historically bad game for the Orange. They gave up 70 points for the first time in 134 years. Notre Dame had a plethora of school milestones. They had their most points in a half at 49 in the first. They scored 70 points for the first time since 1932. Their 35 first-quarter points were also a school record, with their first 21 coming without a snap played on offense. Saturday doesn't embody who Fran Brown is, but this is an unforgettable game for all the wrong reasons for Syracuse.
Boston College almost pulled off an all-time upset against Georgia Tech before their bye week. They exposed the Yellow Jackets' defense just in time for the postseason. Dylan Lonergan started hot as a passer, but was ice cold after their third loss. This was his best game in months. Reed Harris and Lewis Bond were cutting up the Yellow Jackets' secondary. If they came out of this game with their first win since week one, the ACC landscape would've been altered completely. With play like this, the Eagles could be favorable against a depleted Syracuse team.
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Brett Holmes has been covering the Hokies as a Sports Media & Analytics student at the school for the past two years. Alongside writing, he works behind the scenes as a production assistant for Virginia Tech's athletic production organization Hokie Vision. In his free time, he produces his own podcast, Holmes Field Advantage, on his YouTube. You can find him on X @_BrettHolmes
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